This invention relates to a display method and apparatus for navigation system, and more particularly, to a display method and apparatus which is capable of easily selecting a street name and quickly changing a street number for specifying an address of destination in a vehicle navigation system.
A vehicle navigation system performs vehicle travel guidance for enabling a driver to easily drive the vehicle to a selected destination. Such a navigation system detects the position of the vehicle, reads out map data pertaining to an area at the vehicle current position from a data storage medium, for example, a CD-ROM (compact disk read-only memory) or a DVD (digital versatile disc), and displays a map image on a monitor screen (display) while superposing a mark representing the current location of the vehicle on a predetermined portion of the map image.
The vehicle position is determined by self-contained navigation sensors (e.g. a distance traveled sensor and a bearing sensor) mounted in the vehicle or by a global positioning system (GPS) including an artificial satellite (satellite navigation). The satellite enables absolute position detection and higher position accuracy than the self-contained navigation sensors. However, the satellite navigation involves a problem of position detection failure such as in a tunnel or a building where the satellite radio signals are obstructed. Therefore, recent navigation systems utilize both self-contained navigation and satellite navigation to achieve improved performances.
As the present position of the vehicle changes with the travel of the vehicle, the vehicle current position mark in the map image on the screen is changed accordingly. Alternatively, the map is scrolled while the vehicle current position mark is fixed at a predetermined position, for example, at the center of the image. In either method, the navigation system enables the driver to recognize the map information of the area at the vehicle position at a glance.
When a destination is not set, such a navigation system functions as a locator map which indicates the current location of the vehicle on a map image. When the destination is set, the navigation system starts a route guidance function for setting a guided route from the starting point to the destination. Typically, the route guidance function performs an intersection guidance process in which a monitor screen displays an enlarged intersection diagram and the direction in which the vehicle is to travel while displaying the guide route on a map. When a destination is input, a CPU in the navigation system determines a most suitable guided route from the current vehicle position to the destination and successively stores nodes (expressed in longitude and latitude) constituting the guided route in a memory.
During actual traveling, the node series stored in the memory is searched for a portion of the guided route to be displayed in a map display area of the monitor screen, and the portion of the guided route is highlighted so as to be discriminable from other routes. When the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of an intersection it is approaching, an intersection guidance diagram (an enlarged or highlighted intersection diagram with an arrow indicating the direction in which the vehicle is to turn at the intersection) is displayed to inform a driver of the desired one of roads or directions selectable at the intersection.
FIG. 1A shows an example of a locator map display containing a vehicle current position mark VCP on a map image 21. Typically, a navigation system shows the street on which the vehicle is running in the map image 21 and a name of the street such as xe2x80x9cW 190TH STxe2x80x9d in an information box 23 on the monitor screen. Other information such as a north pointer NP, a map scale and a current time may also be illustrated on the display screen. In this manner, the locator map display shows the current position of the vehicle on the map image, however, it does not perform the route guidance function because the destination is not set in the navigation system.
FIG. 1B shows an example of route guidance display which performs the route guidance function. The route guidance display is activated after specifying the destination. In addition to the map image 21 similar to the locator map of FIG. 1A, this example further shows an arrow indicating the direction (left) in which the vehicle is to turn at the intersection in a guidance information box 22 at the top of the screen. The guidance information box 22 also shows a name of the street xe2x80x9cPRAIRIE AVExe2x80x9d which intersects with the current street xe2x80x9cW 190TH STxe2x80x9d and a distance to the intersection. Thus, the navigation system indicates that the vehicle should make a left turn at the intersection with xe2x80x9cPRAIRIE AVExe2x80x9d.
Typically, the current street xe2x80x9cW 190TH STxe2x80x9d and the left side of the street xe2x80x9cPRAIRIE AVExe2x80x9d will be highlighted in the map image 21. Further, such route guidance is accompanied by voice instructions. If the direction of travel in the next intersection is left, the navigation system gives spoken guidance such as xe2x80x9cturn left at the next intersectionxe2x80x9d. In this example, an information box 24 at the bottom of the display screen includes information regarding the remaining distance to the final destination and an estimated time to reach the final destination.
In order to be guided by the route guidance mode such as shown in FIG. 1B, a destination must be specified in the navigation system so that the system can find one or more routes to get to the destination. FIGS. 2A-2F show examples of display shown on the monitor screen during the operation of inputting the destination.
By operating a menu key, a main menu 25 such as shown in FIG. 2A is displayed on the navigation system and a menu item xe2x80x9cDestinationxe2x80x9d is selected from the main menu. This allows the navigation system to display a xe2x80x9cEnter Destination byxe2x80x9d menu 27 as shown in FIG. 2B for specifying an input method for selecting the destination. The xe2x80x9cEnter Destination byxe2x80x9d menu 27 lists various methods for selecting the destination including xe2x80x9cAddressxe2x80x9d for specifying the city and address of the destination, xe2x80x9cIntersectionxe2x80x9d for specifying the names of two streets in the city which intersect with one another, and xe2x80x9cPoint of Interestxe2x80x9d for selecting the programmed destination based on the name, category or telephone number.
Other methods in the xe2x80x9cEnter Destination byxe2x80x9d menu 27 include xe2x80x9cRecent Routexe2x80x9d for specifying the destination based on the recent destinations saved in the navigation system, xe2x80x9cAddress Bookxe2x80x9d for selecting the address of the destination out of the addresses stored in the system, and xe2x80x9cMap Cursorxe2x80x9d for specifying the destination by pointing a cursor to the destination on the map. For example, the information in the address book is formed of a list of names and addresses of the places that the driver frequently visits.
When selecting, for example, the xe2x80x9cPoint of Interestxe2x80x9d in FIG. 2B, the navigation system displays a xe2x80x9cCategory Listxe2x80x9d menu 28 such as shown in FIG. 2C. The xe2x80x9cCategory Listxe2x80x9d menu 28 contains various different categories such as xe2x80x9cBankxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cRestaurantxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cHotelxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cShoppingxe2x80x9d and others. If the category xe2x80x9cShoppingxe2x80x9d is selected, the navigation system displays xe2x80x9cName Listxe2x80x9d such as shown in FIGS. 2D and 2E. The xe2x80x9cName Listxe2x80x9d shows names of shops and shopping malls sorted by, for example, distance from the vehicle. In an address information box 31 on the display, the address and phone number of the highlighted name in the list 33 will be displayed. The address information box 31 may also show the distance to the highlighted shop. Typically, the navigation system stores several tens or hundreds of names of shops within predetermined distances and displays several shops per page of display screen, and a user may scroll the display screen to see other names of shops in the name list 36 such as shown in FIG. 2E.
When the destination is not prestored in the navigation system, a user can input the destination by selecting, for example, the xe2x80x9cAddressxe2x80x9d method or xe2x80x9cIntersectionxe2x80x9d method in the xe2x80x9cEnter Destination byxe2x80x9d menu 27 of FIG. 2B. Then, the navigation system displays an xe2x80x9cEnter Street Namexe2x80x9d shown in FIG. 2F for inputting the city and address in an address input box 37 by means of a key board (keypad) 38 displayed on the monitor screen.
After inputting the destination, the navigation system determines a route to the destination based on, for example, the shortest way to reach the destination, the route using many free ways as possible or the route without using toll road, and the like. Thus, the navigation system moves to the route guidance display such as shown in FIG. 1B which performs the route guidance.
In the process of specifying the destination, there is a case where a user knows a particular address of his destination although he does not know how to reach that destination. Suppose the particular address is not in the xe2x80x9cAddress Bookxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cRecent Routexe2x80x9d method noted above, the user has to specify the address of the destination through the key board such as shown in FIG. 2F. This input method takes time and adversely affects the safe driving.
Therefore, in such a case, rather than hitting the key board one by one, for specifying the street (house) number and the street name, the user wants a quicker way to specify the destination address. For example, in many navigation systems currently in the market, a user can specify the street on the map image by pointing the cursor (marker) on the particular street. Then, the navigation system displays a confirmation screen which shows the street number and the street name of the cursor point. This process is quicker to input the street name than that using the key board.
In such a situation, suppose the address of his destination is xe2x80x9c1333 Carson Ave. Torrance, Calif.xe2x80x9d, and the displayed address of the cursor point is xe2x80x9c1234 Carson Ave. Torrance, Calif.xe2x80x9d, he wants to change the number xe2x80x9c1234xe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9c1333xe2x80x9d on the screen. However, the navigation systems today do not provide a convenient way to easily and quickly change the number on the navigation display. Thus, the user has to repeat the process of adjusting the cursor point on the street to pin-point the street number to xe2x80x9c1333xe2x80x9d. This process is inconvenient and burdensome and distracts driver""s attention to the driving.
In many cases, a driver knows a particular address and is familiar with the city of such a particular address, and thus, he can easily find the street on the map screen. As noted above, however, in the conventional technology, it is not possible to easily change the street number to the particular address. Therefore, there is a need for a navigation system which can easily and quickly change the street number to specify the destination.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a navigation system which enables a user to easily and quickly operate the navigation system for specifying a destination by selecting a street name through a map image and changing a street number to specify the destination.
The navigation system is designed to enable a user to quickly select a street name and easily specify the street number of the destination. The navigation system includes a menu for changing a street number of the displayed address through numeric keys or other means. After selecting the street name on the map screen, the street number on the cursor point can be easily and quickly changed to match the destination because it is not necessary to input the street name through the key board.
More specifically, the method of the present invention includes steps of: displaying a map image and locating a street image on the map image which is considered as going to user""s destination, specifying a point on the street image by a cursor (cursor point) on the map image, displaying an address of the cursor point for confirming the address where the address includes at least a street name and a street number, selecting a change number menu, changing the street number of the cursor point address to a street number depicting the user""s destination, and calculating route to the user""s destination from a current position and guiding the user to reach the destination.
In the step of changing the street number, the method further includes a step of displaying a key board screen for changing the street number wherein the key board screen maintains the street name and other information on the address at the cursor point and allows to change only the street number.
Preferably, the method further includes a step of selecting a city name after changing the street number in a case where an address including the changed street number belongs to a city different from a city in the cursor point address. Further, the method includes a step of selecting an address of the user""s destination after changing the street number when two or more same addresses including the street number that has been changed and the street name exist within a specified city.
Another aspect of the present invention is a display apparatus for a vehicle navigation system. The display apparatus is configured by various means for achieving the display methods described above which utilizes the xe2x80x9cChange Numberxe2x80x9d menu for changing the street number of the cursor point address specified,on the map screen.
According to the present invention, the vehicle navigation system enables the user to enter the destination easily and quickly. First, the user selects the particular street on the map screen, then changes the street number on the key board screen through the xe2x80x9cChange Numberxe2x80x9d process. Since this process does not require to input the street name by the key board, but only needs to change the street number, the user can easily and quickly specify the destination in the navigation system.